The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “survive,” “escape,” “save,” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in these verses with pulumuka, describing someone whose life was in danger but who has freed himself or herself. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 37:1:
Kupsabiny: “Then again I saw that the power of God brought me along. His Spirit took me to go down to a valley which had not a few bones.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Now, I was-empowered by the LORD and I was-brought by his Spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
GermanGute Nachricht Bibel 2018: “I felt the Lord lay his hand on me. In the Spirit he led me through the air and set me down in the middle of the plain. The whole ground was covered with bones of the dead.”
Chichewa (interconfessional translation of 1999): “The power of Chauta [see YHWH] grabbed me, the Spirit of Chauta lifted me up and set me down again in the middle of a valley. That valley was filled with bones.” (Source: Ernst Wendland in The Bible Translator 2005, p. 76ff. )
English: “One day Yahweh gave me another vision. In the vision I felt the power of God on me, and by his Spirit he took me to the middle of a valley. It was full of bones of people who had been killed.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 37:4:
Kupsabiny: “Then God said to me, ‘Predict to these bones saying, ‘You bones, hear the words that God is saying.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “He said to me again, ‘Tell those dry bones that they will-listen to what I say.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Chichewa (interconfessional translation of 1999) (374-5a): “Then he told me, ‘Preach to these bones, [and] tell the dry bones to listen to the words of me, Chauta [see YHWH]. Say that what I the Lord Chauta am telling the bones is this: I will breathe breath into you …'” (Source: Ernst Wendland in The Bible Translator 2005, p. 76ff. )
English: “Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones. Say to them, ‘You dry bones, listen to what Yahweh says.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 37:11:
Kupsabiny: “God said to me, ‘Ezekiel, all these bones is the house of Israel without number. They are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up and we have nothing more to hope for. We have been completely isolated/pushed aside.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The LORD again said to me, ‘Man, those bones represent the entire people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are now dry, and we no-longer have hope; we are now destroyed.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Chichewa (interconfessional translation of 1999) (37:11-12a): “Afterwards Chauta [see YHWH] told me saying, “You child of a human [polite address], these bones are all the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘Our bones are dried out, our hope is lost, we have been destroyed.’ For this reason preach to them and tell them that I Lord Chauta am saying, You my people . . . ‘” (Source: Ernst Wendland in The Bible Translator 2005, p. 76ff. )
English: “Then he said to me, ‘You human, these bones represent all the Israeli people. The people say, ‘It is as though our bones are dried up; there are no more good things that we can hope for/confidently expect to happen to us; our nation is destroyed/finished.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Section headings should not be ignored when one is considering potential problem areas from a cultural point of view. One suggested heading which begins the section starting at v. 13 reads “Boaz and his descendants” (Good News Bible). The average reader, however, is not likely to be very familiar with Boaz. But he has undoubtedly heard of King David. It would seem that this is also the point of emphasis of the original author as well; otherwise, why give this listing at all and have it conclude with this climactic name? Therefore a more appropriate heading would be “The ancestors of King David” (Chichewa).
The rhetorical question, “Is this Naomi?” may be misunderstood if rendered literally to imply that the people did not recognize Naomi after so many years. But the question is rather a shocked comment upon her miserable social condition due to the loss of her husband and sons. Thus a more appropriate expression would be (Chichewa) “Ha! so Naomi has come back like this?”
It would have been extremely impolite for Ruth, had she been an African, to take back home with her the food which was left over from the meal which she had eaten at Boaz’ farm. That would certainly give the impression that she had a greedy nature. The custom is rather that she leave a little food on her plate to show that she had been satisfied by her host (even if she was really still hungry). This is, in fact, what was suggested by v. 14, “and she had some [food] left over.”—only to be apparently contradicted now in v. 18. Further aspersions on Ruth’s character result from a literal reproduction of the final clause of this verse: “(Ruth) gave (Naomi) what food she had left over after being satisfied” (cp. old Chichewa Bible: mkute ‘food remaining from the night before’). A woman would be considered most selfish if it were discovered that she had filled herself with food first and then had given the left-overs to her mother-in-law. In a traditional African society, greed, or gluttony, is one of the most abhorrent of characteristics, as attested to by many proverbs and folktales.
